Awarded by The Heritage Foundation in conjunction with the studios, the distinctive blue plaques will remember the achievements of the four actors, all now deceased.

Tony Warren, Coronation Street creator, and Doris Speed

As part of the soap's 40th anniversary celebrations, current stars and family and friends of the four actors will take part in the ceremony, which will also raise money for the charity Childline.

The actors played some of the soap's most memorable characters including the Rovers pub landlady, Annie Walker, street siren Elsie Tanner, councillor and mayor Alf Roberts, and prying busybody Ena Sharples.

A Coronation Street spokeswoman said: "It's a huge privilege. We're delighted that the actors are being recognised in this way on such a special year."

Weatherfield's finest

Carson who played Street stalwart Ena Sharples, left the show in 1980 after 20 years.
She passed away on Boxing Day 1985 in Cleveleys, Blackpool.

Phoenix starred as street siren Elsie Tanner from 1960 to 1984, when she was written out of the story - for a new life in Portugal running a wine bar with ex-lover Bill Gregory.

Phoenix herself died of lung cancer in Manchester in 1986 shortly after a hospital marriage to Tony Blair's father-in-law actor Tony Booth.

Annie Walker played by Doris Speed, ran the Rovers' Return for over 30 years. She left the street in 1983 and died at a nursing home in Bury, in 1994, aged 95.

Mosley - councillor and mayor Alf Roberts - was asked to leave the show after health scares.

A month after his character was written out (in January 1999) he collapsed and died in the street in Shipley, Bradford, after suffering a massive heart attack.